Resilient wheel



March 31. 1925.

A. P. ASPIN RESILIENT WHEEL Filed Sept. 8, 1923 Patented Mar. 31, 1925.

UNITED STATES ALFRED I. ASPIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

RESILIENT WHEEL.

Application filed September 8, 1923. Serial No. 661,643.

To all whom, it may concern: 7

Be it known thattl, ALFRED P. ASPIN, a citizen ot the United States, and a resident ot Chicago, in the county ot Cook and State ot Illinois, have invented a new and usetul Improvement in a Resilient lVheel, of which the following is a. full, clear, and exact description. I

My invention relates to improvements in resilient wheels, and more particularly that type ot wheel employing a resilient tire, and.

described in which the telly is possessed ot particularly novel structure in its union with the spokes ot the wheel to provide a rigid and durable structure.

A turther object 0t my invention is to provide a resilient wheel ot the character described in which a plurality of pneumatic pistons and cylinders are employed and in which air is admitted to the cylinders trom a common pressure chamber. This greatly facilitates the adjustment 0t pressurenpon the tire.

A turther object of my invention is to provide a resilient wheel of the character described in which the road shock is evenly distributed to all parts of the wheel adjacent the tread, as in the case of a pneumatic casing ot the ordinary type.

A Further object of my invention is to provide a device ot the character described which is simple in construction and which i thoroughly practical tor the purpose intended.

Other objects and advantages Will appear in the tollowing specification, and thenovel features of the invention will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, torming part of this application, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of an embodi ment ot my invention, a part thereot shown in section, and

Figure 2 is a sectional view along the line 2----i2 of Figure 1.

In carrying out my invention, I make use of a vehicle wheel consisting of a metal telly 1 annular in shape and substantially U- shaped in'cross section (see Figure 2). The inner wall of the telly 1 is provided with a plurality of spaced apart depressions 2 tor receiving the outer ends 0t spokes 3 extending radially from a hub 1. This structure, as shown in Figure 1, is a particularly rigid structure, and the chances of the spokes 3 becoming loose trom the telly 1 are slight.

A plurality ot spaced apart bridge 1nemhers 5, integral with thetelly 1, are disposed across the peripheral edges ot the telly. The purpose ot these bridges 5 is to'receive bolts 6 by means ot which cylinders 7 are securely fixed to the outer wall -ot the telly 1. The cylinders 7 have their inner walls finished and are provided with a bronze bushing 8 closely contacting the side walls thereot. Each of the cylinders 7 is provided with a pair ot vent openings or ports 9 in the lower wall communicating with the interior of the space between the adjacent walls of the telly 1. A rubber gasket 11 is clamped between the cylinders 7 and the outer peripheral walls of the telly so as to render the space between the adjacent side walls ot the telly and the cylinders air-tight. 'This structure virtually torms an air chamber.

A valve 12 ot the ordinary type, such as employed on the pneumatic tube in use with pneumatic casings, is projected through the inner wall of the telly 1 so that air may be admitted to the air chamber under pressure.

Each ot the cylinders 7 is provided with a piston 13 having a cavity 14 in its end wall, as shown in Figure 1. Each ot the pistons 13 has a steel casing 13 fixed on the outer peripheral walls thereot in which three piston rings 13 -are fitted, These pistons 13 are arranged to closely fit the inner walls ot the bushings 8 so as to compress air in the cylinders when the pistons 13 are torced toward the hub 4.

Each ot the pistons 18 has the segmental part of a tire carrying rim 15 formed at its outer end. These tire carryingsegments are spaced at sufficient distance from one another to permit the inward movement ot the pistons 13 toward the hub tor the full stroke of the cylinders 7. I

A solid rubber vehicle tire 16 is carried on the several segmental rim sections 15. This tire 16 is pressed outwardly and at a uniform pressure on all sides of the hub 4-,

s ve that portion of the tire which is resting upon the ground and directly beneath the hub. This section of course is forced toward the hub 4 to a slight degree, depending upon the pressure of the air within the pistons and the air chamber of which the telly 1 is a part.

In order that dust may be entirely preeluded from the interior of the cylinders 7 and from accumulating on the side walls of the bushings 8 and the cylinders 7, clusttigh't metal covers are provided. The covers consist of cylinders 19 carried by the prstons 18 adjacenttheir outer ends and arranged to encompass the outer side walls of the cylinders 7 Each of the cylinders 19 are provided with packing rings 20 which contact with the outer side walls of the cylinders 7. Each of the cylinders 7 is provided with inwardly extending stop members 7" at its innermost end to positively prevent the inward movement of the piston 13 beyond a predetermined stroke.

From the foregoing description of the various parts ot' the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood. In use, my improved vehicle wheel provides much the same advantages and benefits as are derived from the ordinary type of pneumatic casing and pneumatic tube, which advantages consist chietly in the absorption of vibration due to read shock upon the wheels, and in the general resiliency oi the entire wheel, which provides comfortable riding qualities for the vehicle on which the wheels are employed. v

My improved wheel is provided with. supply of air under pressure admitted through the valve 1.2 to the air chamber within the telly 1 into the cylinder 7. The pressure of this air is dependent entirely upon the load which is carried by the vehicle and upon the strength and resistance of the tire 16. In use, the tire 16 when contacting with the road is pressed inwardly, due to the weight oi that portion of the vehicle distributed above the tire, and the adjacent piston 13 is forced toward the hub 4 in its associate cylinder. This moven'ient will cause a compression of air within the cylinder 7 which momentary compression is distributed through the openings 9 to the air chamber within the telly 1 and ultimately to the remaining cylinders. As the wheel continues to rotate, this operation is repeated. An extra heavy road shocl: is

, just as easily distributed over the remaining portions of the wheel as with a slight roac shock. The dust covers eitectually prevent the entrance of dust, sand, or the like, to the cylinders 7 and therefore prolong the etlicient operation of the wheel.

1 claim:

1. A resilient wheel of the character de-- scribed comprising an annular telly substantial'ly Ushaped in cross section, said telly being formed with a plurality of depressions in its innermost wall for receiving the ends of spokes for said wheel, a plurality of'cylinders arranged on the outermost peripheral edge of said telly so as to virtually form an air chamber between the adjacent inner walls of the telly and said cylinders, each of said cylinders being provided with ports communicating with said air chamber, pistons disposed within said cylinders, each of said pistons being formed with the segmental part of a tire carrying rim on its outermost end, and a flexible endless tire carried by said segmentaltire carrying rim, whereby said tire is substantially concentric with said telly.

A resilient wheel of the character described comprising an annular telly sub stantially 'U-shaped in cross section, a plurality of cylinders arranged on the outermost peripheral edge of said telly thereby forming an air-tight chamber between the adjacent inner walls of the telly and said cylinders, each of said cylinders being provided with ports communicating with said air chamber, pistons disposed within said cylinders, stop members for limiting the in wardmovement of said pistons, a segmental part of a tire carrying rim carried by said pistons on the outermost ends, and a flexible endless tir'e carried by said segmental tire carrying rim, whereby said the is sub stantia-lly concentric with said telly.

ALFRED P. riSPIbi'. 

